"Techno – economic Comparison among Pipe Materials used in Water Networks"

Abstract

Currently different pipe materials are used in a variety of applications in municipal water networks such as DI, ST, PSC, GRP, HDPE, and uPVC. Recently, many problems have emerged because of the use of an inappropriate pipe material in a certain application. The objective of this research is to develop a flow chart that can be used for the selection of the most appropriate pipe material in a certain application of water networks taking into consideration design parameters, local experience, environmental conditions, construction, operation, maintenance, and financial evaluation. Technical evaluation considers structural properties, environmental conditions, construction, operation, and maintenance. The impact of these parameters varies from project to another depending on project severity factor. Financial evaluation considers the cost of supply and installation for all the acceptable pipe materials. Keywords: Pipe Selection, Ductile Iron Pipe, GRP Pipe, HDPE Pipe, uPVC Pipe, ST Pipe